A Green Beret, a Cybertruck, and a Series of Strange Events

Examining the Vegas Explosion, the Cryptic Email, and the Broader Implications for Media Narratives

After a year jam-packed with unprecedented events and jaw-dropping headlines, most of us were hoping for a quiet start to 2025. Instead, when Americans woke up on January 1—some still groggy from parties the night before (not me, I was asleep by 10 p.m.)—we were greeted by the shocking news of an attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans that claimed 15 lives. While the tragedy seems tied to ISIS sympathies, and I fully acknowledge its significance, it’s what happened just hours later that I’m here to talk about.

At 8:39 a.m. PST, a Cybertruck pulled into the valet area of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, only to explode moments later, killing the driver, Matthew Livelsberger, a former Green Beret. Authorities say Livelsberger detonated an IED inside the vehicle and then shot himself with a .50 caliber Desert Eagle. Since the explosion, this bizarre incident has sparked questions from ex-military insiders, intelligence experts, and, of course, the internet’s favorite theorists.

Was this connected to the Bourbon Street attack? Both vehicles were rented through the car-sharing app Turo. Both individuals were former military who served at Fort Bragg. Both incidents happened hours apart. On the surface, that’s a lot of coincidence—but the deeper we dig into Livelsberger’s actions and the details of the explosion, the weirder things get.

Are we being fed a narrative? Are key facts still missing? Was this simply the actions of a mentally disturbed man or was this just a deeply unusual sequence of events? I’m not here to give you all the answers—I don’t have them. But I’ll lay out everything we know (or have been allowed to know) so far. You tell me what you think is going on.

The Incident: What Happened?

Let’s start with what we know—or at least, what we’ve been told so far.

At 8:39 a.m. PST on New Year’s Day, a Tesla Cybertruck pulled into the valet area of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. Seventeen seconds later, the vehicle exploded, leaving behind wreckage, unanswered questions, and one charred body in the driver’s seat. Authorities identified the driver as Matthew Allen Livelsberger, a 37-year-old former Green Beret. Officials claim Livelsberger detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) before fatally shooting himself with a .50 caliber Desert Eagle.

But here’s where things get strange—actually, even stranger.

CNN released surveillance footage showing the exact moment of the explosion, and it adds fuel to an already bizarre fire. In the video, you can clearly see someone—presumably Livelsberger—sitting upright in the driver’s seat seconds before the blast. At one point, the individual even turns their head, as if reacting to something. There’s no visible evidence of a gunshot. No muzzle flash inside the vehicle. And while a .50 caliber Desert Eagle is so loud it could wake the dead, there weren’t any reports of bystanders hearing such a gunshot.

To make matters more puzzling, the aftermath of a .50 cal gunshot would be unmistakable—it’s not just a fatal weapon; it’s overkill. A shot from that gun at close range would almost certainly have decapitated the driver, yet the footage shows the individual sitting intact until the explosion. If the official story is true, then why does the footage paint such a different picture?

And that’s not the only oddity. Authorities claimed to have found Livelsberger’s passport and ID in the wreckage, somehow still intact, despite the fireball that reduced much of the truck’s interior to ash. Meanwhile, the “IED” was reportedly a mix of fireworks and camping fuel canisters—hardly the kind of device you’d expect from someone with military explosives training.

Finally, there’s the choice of vehicle. Why a Cybertruck? It’s bulletproof, conspicuous, and designed to withstand significant impacts. If the goal was to create a large-scale attack or send a message, wouldn’t a more inconspicuous, easier-to-detonate vehicle make more sense?

Between the footage and these inconsistencies, even seasoned investigators seem stumped. Was this truly the work of one man? Was Livelsberger trying to send a message? Or is there something bigger—or someone else—pulling the strings?

At this point, all we can do is try to connect the dots—but let’s be honest, the picture isn’t adding up.

The Whistleblower Connection

As if an exploding Cybertruck and a .50 cal mystery weren’t enough, this story takes another bizarre turn with a cryptic email, a retired intelligence officer, and a popular podcast host.

On December 31, 2024, just a day before the explosion, Sam Shoemate—a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 and intelligence officer—received an email allegedly sent by Matthew Livelsberger. Shoemate, known for his military service and outspoken social media presence, shared the email during an appearance on The Shawn Ryan Show, where he often discusses national security and controversial topics.

The email, purportedly from Livelsberger, made some wild claims. It stated that he was under FBI surveillance and planning to escape to Mexico.

But it didn’t stop there—it alleged the existence of highly classified “gravitic propulsion systems” used in drone technology and claimed that both the U.S. and China possessed these advanced capabilities. According to the email, China had even deployed drones launched from submarines in the Atlantic.

This part of the story takes an even stranger turn when you consider something Republican congressman Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey said back in December. He claimed he had credible sources suggesting drones spotted over New Jersey were Iranian or possibly Chinese and were being launched from an Iranian "mothership" parked off the East Coast of the U.S.

What the Heck are Gravitic Propulsion Systems?

Gravitic propulsion is a theoretical concept where spacecraft move by manipulating gravity or space-time. Instead of expelling mass like rockets, these systems would theoretically "warp" space around the vehicle, allowing for faster-than-light travel or very efficient movement within our universe. The concept is based on Einstein's general relativity, where space-time can be bent or stretched, think “warp-speed” in Star Trek. Point is claim to still be just a theory.

Now, this raises an interesting question: was Livelsberger backing up Van Drew’s claims, or was he just latching onto them to build his own narrative? Either way, the Pentagon wasn’t having any of it. Spokesperson Sabrina Singh shot down the claims during a press conference, saying flat-out, "There is no truth to that. There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there is no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States."

The content was enough to grab attention, but Shoemate’s involvement has also sparked controversy. Some have hailed him as a whistleblower advocate and a voice for service members, while others on social media have accused him of fabricating similar emails in the past. These claims remain unverified, have left people’s heads spinning, and resulted in a great deal of skepticism toward the unfolding story.

The Tesla Supercharger Video

On January 3, 2025, a new piece of the puzzle emerged: footage of Matthew Livelsberger at a Tesla Supercharger station. This video, released by Las Vegas police, quickly became a focal point for investigators and internet sleuths alike.

Here’s what we know: the footage shows Livelsberger wearing a headlamp, calmly cleaning dirt off the Cybertruck’s bumper. Does this look like a man who is concerned about being watched or followed? Also, if he was being followed, why would he choose a vehicle that stands out and requires multiple stops for charging? Maybe he wanted to have a “second pair” of eyes on him, considering Tesla vehicles are equipped with cameras and collect a great deal of data. Or maybe he wanted a “tank” for the explosion to minimize surrounding damage. Needless to say, in the video, he appears to be at ease.

The charging station where this was filmed was one of eight stops Livelsberger made on his trip from Colorado to Las Vegas. While the exact location of this stop hasn’t been confirmed publicly, it’s part of the breadcrumbs investigators are using to piece together his journey.

And then there’s his outfit. In the video, Livelsberger is wearing a shirt from Black Cat, a fireworks manufacturer. Given that fireworks were reportedly part of the IED, this fashion choice stand out. Was it a coincidence, was it a deliberate nod to what was coming, or was it simply swag he got with purchase?

The public reaction has been all over the map. Some say his calm demeanor points to a calculated plan, while others argue it suggests he was mentally unraveling. Conspiracy theorists, of course, have gone even further, questioning whether the person in the video is actually Livelsberger at all. The footage doesn’t clearly show his face, but authorities have matched other identifiers, like tattoos and possessions, to confirm it’s him—or so they claim.

This video might seem like a minor detail, but it’s become a critical piece of the investigation. Law enforcement is using it to track Livelsberger’s movements and establish a timeline. Meanwhile, the internet has turned it into another enigma, debating every second of the footage as if it holds the key to the whole case.

So, what do we make of it? Did Livelsberger look like a man on the run to Mexico worried about being followed, or a man comfortable with his final plan? Does the shirt suggest a sense of dark humor, or is it just another layer of coincidence? Like everything else in this case, the video offers more questions than answers.

Let’s Talk About Those Signal Changes

Then because weird seems to be the theme here, let's talk about the Signal changes. The first I heard about this was during Shoemate’s appearance on The Shawn Ryan Show, where he casually dropped this bombshell. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, Matt Tarido added fuel to the fire with a post on X:

Signal safety numbers are like digital fingerprints for secure communication—they change only when someone sets up the app on a new device or when their account is tampered with. The fact that Livelsberger’s safety number changed on December 29, before the explosion, could mean he got a new phone, or maybe… someone was messing with his account. But what really throws a wrench into the story is the second change, which happened after the explosion. Yes, after he was supposedly dead.

This has people buzzing with questions. Did Livelsberger somehow survive the explosion? Or was someone else—maybe a hacker or someone with access to his phone—using the account? And then there’s the profile photo. It changed, too, and no one’s explaining how. If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking: how is this even possible? Shouldn’t the account have been inactive?

Shoemate and Ryan didn’t hold back. They tossed out all kinds of ideas, from Livelsberger staging his own death to someone deliberately planting false evidence. Honestly, at this point, your guess is as good as mine, but it’s one more piece of this puzzle that just doesn’t fit.

Something’s Off About This Email

Internet sleuths have since analyzed screenshots of the email shared on The Shawn Ryan Show and flagged some inconsistencies. The screenshots appear to show visible spellcheck squiggles and a blinking cursor—signs that the email might have been a draft rather than a received message.

Shoemate explained that these quirks were due to the Shawn Ryan Show’s email software. To back up his claim, Shoemate provided multiple screenshots of the email thread within his own ProtonMail account, showing that he had received the email and did not fabricate it as some have alleged.

Then there’s the matter of verification. Shoemate claimed the sender confirmed their identity by providing a personal detail: the make and model of their first car, a 2006 black Ford Mustang V6. However, public records uncovered by skeptics suggest Livelsberger’s first car was a different model year.

Despite this, the FBI has backed Shoemate’s claim, stating that Livelsberger is the author of the email. What that evidence entails, they have yet to disclose.

Connecting the Dots—or Not

The timing of the email—sent just 48 hours before the explosion—is unusual, but does it mean anything? On one hand, it paints Livelsberger as paranoid, desperate, and possibly delusional. On the other, it raises the possibility of a deliberate effort to plant a narrative. Given Shoemate’s mixed reputation—praised by some as a truth-teller and dismissed by others as a fabricator—this email is as polarizing as it is puzzling.

Then there’s the content itself. The mention of “gravitic propulsion systems” and advanced drone technology has sent conspiracy theorists into a frenzy, with some claiming it’s proof of shadowy government operations. Whether it’s a whistleblower warning, a calculated psy-op, or a simple red herring, the email adds yet another layer of confusion to an already tangled web.

So, what are we left with? Did Livelsberger truly send this email? If so, was he blowing the whistle on something real, or was it part of a larger plan to muddy the waters? And if he didn’t send it, who did—and why?

Evidence Discrepancies and Investigations

Let’s dive into the evidence found at the scene—or the lack thereof.

First the DNA evidence.

Officials say the body in the Cybertruck is Livelsberger, but some internet sleuths are pointing out a potential issue—it doesn’t match his son’s DNA. If that’s true, it raises some big questions. Was it really Livelsberger in the truck? Or could this have been someone else entirely?

And then there’s this wild theory floating around: what if Livelsberger found out his son wasn’t biologically his? That would explain reports of infidelity in his marriage and might even tie into why he was so unhinged. Of course, that’s all speculation, but when the DNA evidence is this murky, it’s hard to ignore the possibilities.

For now, officials have only identified the body through tattoos and personal belongings, as the remains were reportedly burned beyond recognition. DNA confirmation, according to the Las Vegas Sheriff’s office, is still pending, leaving the public to fill in the blanks with speculation.

The Desert Eagle Falls

Let’s talk about the Desert Eagle for a second. This isn’t just any handgun—it’s a .50 caliber monster, the kind of weapon that makes a statement. If it had been fired in that Cybertruck, you’d expect a few things: a deafening boom, a visible flash, and, well, the kind of damage that leaves no room for ambiguity. But we don’t see any of that in the surveillance footage.

And the gun’s placement in the wreckage at Livelsberger’s feet? That just adds to the weirdness. The official story says Livelsberger shot himself before the explosion with a .50 cal, but the video shows him sitting upright until the moment of the blast. No sound of a gunshot, no gun “flying, no evidence of one in the footage—just silence and then chaos. Something just doesn’t add up here. What are we missing?

Cybertruck’s Journey

Authorities tracked the Cybertruck’s route from Denver, CO, to Gallup, NM—where that strange email linked to Livelsberger was sent—and finally to Las Vegas. One stop along the way, in Kingman, AZ, was caught on surveillance footage and confirmed by law enforcement. While some initially thought this footage was mislabeled as being in Las Vegas, investigators clarified the location. It’s a small detail, but it shows how easy it is for confusion to spread in a case like this, especially when online sleuths jump the gun.

And then there’s Alicia Arritt, Livelsberger’s ex-girlfriend, who shared her own perspective in an interview. According to her, Livelsberger had talked openly about his struggles with PTSD, but nothing about him seemed suicidal. In fact, during a call, he showed her the Cybertruck and was practically giddy about it—he said it made him feel like “Batman.” She described him as upbeat and excited, which makes the idea that he would take his own life feel, well, off.

Manifestos and Green Beret Community Reactions

And then there are the manifestos. Allegedly found on Livelsberger’s phone, these writings push wild and implausible narratives, from shadowy government conspiracies to high-tech espionage. But those who served alongside Livelsberger—his fellow Green Berets—aren’t buying it. Some point out the the tone and tenor of the notes found in Livelsberger phone do not match the emails received by Shoemate.

Some even suggest the notes were planted, designed to paint him as a lone wolf with a vendetta, while others suggest that Livelsberger recently had been struggling with some mental health challenges and had recently changed his medication which was confirmed by the FBI.

"Investigative steps have discovered and information with the Army indicates that he likely suffered from PTSD, and we are also aware that there were potential other family issues or personal grievances in his own life that may have been contributing factors," - Spencer Evans, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Las Vegas Division

So Many Questions

Let’s be honest—this case feels like one big, unanswered question. Every time we think we’re getting somewhere, another twist sends us back to square one. Here’s a quick rundown of what we’re still scratching our heads over:

• Was Livelsberger in the Cybertruck? If it’s not Livelsberger, then who?

• Did Livelsberger first die by a self-inflicted gunshot just moments after detinating the explosive? If so why has no one reported the sound of a gun shot and why is there not evidence of it in the footage?

• Was Livelsberger actually involved, or was he set up as the fall guy?

• The email and the bombing—what was the real motivation behind them?

• Those drone and gravitic propulsion system claims—are they legit, or just a smokescreen?

• If Livelsberger didn’t send that email, who did—and what were they trying to achieve?

• Why does the DNA evidence seem so murky? Isn’t that something that should be clear-cut?

• And let’s not forget: why choose a Cybertruck for this? It’s the loudest, most obvious choice imaginable.

• Finally, what’s the deal with those manifestos? If they’re fake, who planted them, and why?

The more we dig, the more questions seem to pile up. Is this just a mess of bad reporting and coincidences, or is there something bigger at play? Right now, all we can do is keep asking—and hope the answers are out there somewhere.

The Role of Media

Let’s talk about the media for a second, because this case shines a spotlight on how both traditional outlets and decentralized platforms shape what we believe—or what we question—but in totally different ways. The mainstream media usually sets the stage, handing us neatly packaged narratives that often brush past inconvenient inconsistencies or alternative explanations. On the flip side, podcasts, social media, and independent journalists throw much-needed curveballs into the mix, giving us perspectives we might not otherwise hear.

But here’s the catch: decentralization doesn’t automatically mean truth. Sure, independent platforms skip the gatekeeping of legacy media, but they’re just as vulnerable to manipulation. Without some level of accountability, it’s easy for bad actors to twist the story or for speculation to snowball into something unrecognizable.

Legacy media has taken its fair share of criticism for being the mouthpiece of the powerful—rightfully so. But now, as their influence starts to wane, you’ve got to wonder: are these same institutions figuring out how to infiltrate the decentralized platforms we’re all flocking to? The scary part is, those platforms might not even realize they’re being used.

So, what’s the takeaway? Whether it’s a headline from a corporate newsroom or a deep dive on your favorite podcast, the responsibility to sift fact from fiction falls on us. Nostalgia for “old media” won’t save us, and blind trust in “new media” won’t either. The real question is: who’s pulling the strings—and why? The answer might not be what you’re expecting.

Conclusion

This case became a whirlwind almost overnight, tangled in the velocity of today’s information flow. Within hours, discourse and debate erupted on X (formerly Twitter), flooding the conversation with speculation, half-truths, and hot takes. For many, the sheer volume of noise was overwhelming—a stark reminder of how easily the modern media ecosystem can bury clarity under a mountain of chaos.

It’s not just legacy media that stumbles in this environment. While skepticism toward traditional outlets is well-earned, decentralized platforms aren’t immune to their own pitfalls. These new voices may often be sincere, but they’re just as susceptible to distortion. The difference? Instead of top-down compliance, their weakness lies in how effortlessly bad actors can hijack narratives and weaponize authenticity.

Some have even speculated that the email sent to Shoemate was part of a psyop—a deliberate attempt to sway public opinion and make Americans more open to conflict with a foreign adversary. If that’s true, I don’t believe Shoemate or Shawn Ryan knowingly participated. But the fact remains: we don’t know, and we need to tread carefully.

At its core, this case is most likely the story of a broken soldier who succumbed to the traumas of his time in service, compounded by the harsh realities of life. Or maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly what “they” want us to believe.

So, what do you think? Is Livelsberger’s story one of personal tragedy amplified by an unforgiving media ecosystem? Or is it something darker—a case study in how easily narratives can be twisted, even on independent platforms?

The truth, as always, is elusive. It’s not a singular answer—it’s a messy, shifting landscape that demands we dig deeper, question more, and resist the urge to settle for easy explanations. Whether it’s a legacy headline or an indie exposé, every story demands scrutiny.

In this era of breakneck information and constant discourse, curiosity isn’t just important—it’s vital. If we don’t stay vigilant, the platforms we once saw as liberators could morph into a new generation of gatekeepers. So let’s stay sharp, stay skeptical, and above all, stay curious.

Leave a comment below—I’d love to hear your take.